Ghostbear, definitely on the spin-offs at the line and shot selection at the circles.

The slightly hunched skating form/speed and general offense-always mode is very Rielly, and the vision and puck-holding/passing is very Marner to me.

Yeah his shot is what really stood out as Ghostbear-like to me. Anyway, I know that everybody looks good when you make a highlight package for them, but based on everything I've read and seen it really boggles my mind that he isn't being talked about for a much higher draft pick. Particularly since we've been seeing more and more small players getting drafted higher up lately.

Yeah his shot is what really stood out as Ghostbear-like to me. Anyway, I know that everybody looks good when you make a highlight package for them, but based on everything I've read and seen it really boggles my mind that he isn't being talked about for a much higher draft pick. Particularly since we've been seeing more and more small players getting drafted higher up lately.

Size bias is much stronger on the backend, but not without reason. Carrick mentioned this towards the end of the season: being a smaller defenseman makes things a great deal more difficult as when the smaller defenseman is fully extended in reach, the larger attacker he's fending off still has room to go and can leverage further.

There's still a lot of net-clearing required in scouts/managers' minds. Where this Leafs' management team has acquired smaller defensemen, they've been of dwarvish strength and stoutness (Carrick, Dermott).

Brannstrom is a favorite of mine relative to the opinions of many scouts. I've been very impressed the past two to three seasons, and I think he has a good pro ceiling. He's a small defenseman at 5-foot-10, but he does a lot well. Brannstrom is a great skater, is gifted on his edges and has a good top gear. He can make plays in open ice because though his puck skills aren't fantastic, they are solid, and his feet and great vision allow him to make a lot happen. His defense could use a little tweaking, as I've seen him make errors he shouldn't, but he has still displayed the ability to play tough minutes. Despite the occasional gaffe, his hockey IQ shines most shifts. Although he is small, Brannstrom has an edge to his game as well.

Liljegren missed a sizeable chunk of the season due to mono. When healthy, he's one of the most dynamic offensive defensemen of the past few draft classes. You can tell when Liljegren has the puck. "He was able to quarterback a SHL power play when he was 16. You just don't see that," noted one scout. He's quite creative and quite skilled. He can make the in-tight plays and control the puck in ways that distinguish him as a puck mover. LIljegren skates very well and can get up in a rush, but it's his skill and offensive mind that elevate him to the highest levels. Although he's a very imaginative and effective puck mover, he can get himself into trouble. He gives the puck away a lot going for the one extra play. His defense isn't elite, but it's decent, as he can make a check and not get completely killed in his own end without the puck; however, there are times when he is a clear negative on that side on the puck.